RWWOKS Chapter 172

A tense atmosphere lingered between them.

Perhaps sensing Fang Bo’s wariness, Uchiha Itachi stepped back, as if he had given up on questioning him.

Fang Bo breathed a sigh of relief and was just about to walk away when he heard the distinct cawing of crows.

He looked up sharply to see a flock of crows gathering above, and everything around him began to distort irregularly.

In an instant, the world turned upside down.

“Genjutsu?!”

He swallowed the question of “when,” realizing he needed to focus on understanding Itachi’s intentions instead. It was unlikely that Uchiha Itachi had traveled back to Konoha just to hunt him down; there had to be something more.

Moments later, an unexpected figure appeared before him—it was the puppet of Sasori, encased in Hiruko’s form.

“Have you seen this person among your team from Sunagakure?”

At that moment, Fang Bo understood Itachi’s purpose.

He was here to hunt down an Akatsuki traitor. But why had he come to Konoha instead of heading straight to Sunagakure?

In a flash, he seemed to piece things together.

After a moment’s silence, Fang Bo shook his head slowly. “There’s no one like that in our team.”

Whether Itachi believed him or not, the scene around him remained unchanged.

Realizing this, Fang Bo began attempting to break the genjutsu on his own.

He’d studied these techniques enough to not be entirely defenseless.

Focusing his mind, the Curse Mark’s power began spreading through his body.

As his spirit energy surged, the illusionary space around him trembled violently.

Caw, caw, caw!

The crows appeared startled, spiraling frantically in the sky, as though the entire world might collapse at any moment.

Yet, even after using half his spirit power, Fang Bo couldn’t shatter Itachi’s genjutsu.

“Is the power gap too vast?” After a pause, Fang Bo made a quick decision.

Golden lightning tore through the night sky, and his trio of summoned giants made their flashy entrance.

While he was under a genjutsu, his summoned beasts remained unaffected, allowing them to see the enemy clearly.

Of course, Fang Bo didn’t expect much from the three of them. As long as they didn’t get obliterated instantly, they’d be doing well.

What he really wanted was the golden lightning.

Its brightness would surely alert any nearby ANBU. With the Konoha forces drawn to the scene, Itachi, who didn’t want to harm the village, would likely retreat, ensuring Fang Bo’s safety.

In the illusionary space, he sat alone, his face betraying a hint of concern.

Since entering the Naruto world, he’d achieved many impossible feats. Through his careful maneuvering, even Kage-level fighters had danced like marionettes on his strings.

He hadn’t become arrogant, but he had let his guard down a bit, losing the careful vigilance he’d had at the beginning.

Itachi’s appearance was a complete surprise. Confronted with such a powerful figure from Akatsuki, he had no chance to fight back.

The sheer disparity in strength forced Fang Bo to reevaluate his plans.

After an unknown length of time, the illusionary world shattered, and his consciousness returned to reality.

But now, he was no longer on the street. He had been brought to an interrogation room in ANBU headquarters.

Before him stood a man with a ninja headband and a trench coat, his face marred with scars.

This was Morino Ibiki, head of Konoha’s Interrogation Department.

“Now I ask, you answer. Understood?” Ibiki said.

The man’s icy killing intent, combined with the ominous interrogation tools around, would be enough to make most people tremble.

But Fang Bo wasn’t about to give in that easily.

He was about to mention Otogakure but paused, then nodded silently.

“What happened when you encountered that person?”

Fang Bo explained the encounter in detail, omitting a few key points.

He disclosed Itachi’s identity as a traitor but kept quiet about Itachi’s true purpose for coming to Konoha.

Instead, he claimed Itachi had approached him seeking information about Naruto Uzumaki.

“Perhaps he saw me as an exam candidate and thought I might know that kid who uses the Shadow Clone Technique,” Fang Bo improvised.

This explanation was believable. By this time, Jiraiya had already begun monitoring Akatsuki’s movements.

Akatsuki showing up in Konoha seemed reasonable if they were after the tailed beasts.

With that, Konoha’s forces would likely focus on the S-rank rogue ninja Itachi, easing their guard against Sunagakure and Otogakure.

The truth about Itachi’s intentions was known only to the highest-ranking officials. To most Konoha shinobi, Itachi was a ruthless killer.

If left unchecked, who knew what threat he might pose to the village?

After a few more questions, Morino Ibiki seemed to accept the story and signaled to a subordinate. Then he leaned in close, his gaze sharp as a blade. “Tell me, did you kill Mitarashi Anko?”

Ignoring the question, Fang Bo smiled calmly, meeting Ibiki’s intense gaze. “As I recall, I’m the victim here. Are you trying to shield a village traitor?”

“I’m asking you about another matter!” Ibiki’s tone grew sharper.

But Fang Bo, a seasoned internet debater, had mastered the key strategies for winning an argument.

First, never follow the other person’s lead.

If they accused him of killing Anko, they’d need to provide proof. Trying to explain himself would only fall into their trap.

Second, if the conversation turned against him, he’d latch onto any point he could to go on the offensive. Even if it meant a bit of exaggeration, he would “brand” their behavior.

Just as he was doing now, insisting that this interrogation was a cover-up for the prior attack and an attempt to deflect responsibility from ANBU.

If all else failed, he’d pull out his trump card.

“Are you deliberately targeting candidates from other villages?” Fang Bo asked, his tone laced with irony. “I’ll be sure to spread the word that Konoha’s methods include harassing candidates from outside villages.”

“Maybe this is Konoha’s way of hiding its decline. Once word gets out, others might take a new view of you.”

There’s a saying, “A lie repeated often enough becomes the truth.” If people believed the accusation, it could turn falsehood into reality.

This was exactly what Konoha feared. If the village were drawn into another war, whether they could defeat a powerful village like Kumogakure was uncertain.

Just facing two perfect Jinchūriki would be challenging enough.

Fang Bo’s remarks hit the mark. If he were to make a scene, the damage to Konoha’s reputation could be severe.

Most importantly, Morino Ibiki couldn’t do anything drastic to him.

The Third Hokage’s leadership style was far too soft.

For the sake of peace, Hiruzen Sarutobi had even sacrificed the Hyuga clan leader; he certainly wouldn’t risk harming a mere special jōnin.

With Hiruzen’s pacifist approach, even though he knew Sunagakure’s ill intent, he wouldn’t strike first.

Once attacked, he’d retaliate, keeping up appearances of being the perfect gentleman.

Realizing this, the interrogator’s demeanor softened. After a few perfunctory reassurances, they let Fang Bo go.

As he was escorted out, Fang Bo glanced back at Morino Ibiki’s stern face.

“We’ll meet again.”

This baseless arrest wasn’t something Fang Bo would forget. He intended to make sure Ibiki understood exactly how Mitarashi Anko had met her end by his hand.

….

A lot had happened tonight, and Fang Bo was just about ready to turn in and get some sleep.

But as he opened his door, he immediately noticed a “corpse” lying on the floor.

“…Lady Chiyo, please stop this.” Fang Bo sighed, realizing that a good night’s rest was out of the question.

The person lying on the floor was none other than the elderly Lady Chiyo.

“Heh heh, you spotted me. You’ve got a sharp eye, young man,” Chiyo chuckled as she struggled to her feet, eventually settling into a chair.

After a bit of her usual antics, she finally revealed her intentions.

“I want to see Sasori become the Fifth Kazekage.” The elderly woman’s words were startling.

“Oh.” Fang Bo wasn’t too surprised. Given the current circumstances, there seemed to be no better candidate than Sasori of the Red Sand.

His past with Akatsuki could easily be masked as a “spy” operation. Who knew, he might even be celebrated as a hero.

Sometimes reality was just that absurd.

After a moment’s silence, Fang Bo asked a common-sense question, “So, has he accepted this?”

“Yes, he has.” Chiyo nodded with a look of relief, stretching her back and fixing her gaze on him. “That’s why I’m thinking it’s the perfect chance for Sasori to return to the public eye.”

Was she planning to leverage the destruction of Konoha to help him rise to power?

This old woman had quite the cunning plan.

“Since you’re the liaison between Sunagakure and Otogakure, I hope you’ll give him some assistance,” Chiyo finally stated her intentions.

However, she seemed unaware that Akatsuki’s pursuer had already arrived in Konoha.

Itachi might show restraint when it came to Konoha, but how would he react to another village’s shinobi?

One Amaterasu would be enough to send Sasori straight to the afterlife.

Without the Third Kazekage puppet, Sasori’s combat power was halved, and with his “Hundred Puppet Performance” arsenal nearly wiped out, his chances against Itachi were slim.

Cutting through Chiyo’s excitement, Fang Bo laid out the current situation.

Upon learning that the pursuer was none other than the man who single-handedly slaughtered the Uchiha clan, Chiyo’s confidence visibly waned.

But before she could even respond, an unexpected visitor opened the window.

In the pale moonlight stood a red-haired man—Sasori of the Red Sand himself.

“So, it’s Itachi? I was expecting…” he trailed off, pausing before climbing in through the window. His tone grew serious. “Before we make any moves, we need to deal with this pursuer.”

“Help me.”

[ID#14552 Hidden Quest Triggered: Akatsuki’s Pursuer!]

[Quest Summary: Pain will not forgive Sasori’s betrayal. You must assist him.]

[Objective: Repel the two members of Akatsuki.]

[Hint: Do not underestimate the power of S-rank rogue ninja. Seek any help you can muster.]

“Alright then.” Fang Bo suppressed his excitement, masking it with a look of reluctance. “I don’t have enough power to fight directly; I’ll have to find another way to help.”

The hidden quest had practically delivered itself, and although it was risky, he was willing to take the chance.

After all, Itachi wasn’t Madara, and Konoha had more than a few capable shinobi who could take him on.

If he played his cards right, he might even manage to turn this into an opportunity to take Itachi down.

As he was scheming on how best to deflect the danger toward Konoha, Sasori suddenly extended his hand toward him.

“I need a suitable puppet for this fight. Let me borrow your puppet for now.”

[Story Character Sasori is requesting your equipment “Yoriichi Zero,” will you accept?]

Was this guy a freeloader?

Fang Bo was shocked.

*(End of Chapter)*

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